Yippeeeee!
'HARRY THE NAZI' lashed The Sun's headline in 2005. 'PRINCE HARRY IN PAKI ROW' guffawed another. And all before the poor tot fell out of his crib to spark up a pipe.
Wild rumours have been flying about like friendly fire since his birth regarding his true parentage, (could it be James Hewitt? JFK Jr? Lord Lucan? Chewy?) Prince Harry was born with scandalous blood and we can't get enough of it. In the ensuing twenty-four years he’s done his utmost to court controversy and keep his Royal name in the headlines.
Prince William, with his 'heir to the throne nonchalance', proved the traditional choice for teen heartthrob. But once the Windsor balding curse took hold, Harry and his casually ruffled ginger flurry caught our attention. Brash, bold and notorious for not giving a damn, Harry is the flame haired Prince we’re all secretly a bit in love with.
While Royal fashion tends to combine a selection of Barbour jackets, family jewels and moth eaten tweeds (accessorised with a Corgi, naturally), Harry knew the only way to break the mould was to go all out. Having spent most of his adolescence having his wardrobe chosen for him, he made his sartorial mark at a ‘Colonial and Native’ fancy dress party in 2005.
Decked in a Nazi Afrika Korps uniform, he got the kind of press attention Jordan would give her left breast for. This wardrobe malfunction set the tone for his controversial clothing choices that interrupt his usual Hewitt-style uniform of blazer, open necked shirt and jeans.
Serving in Iraq, Harry wasn’t going to allow himself to blend in with the other desert rats. Jazzing up his regulation British Army uniform, he wore a beige American baseball cap with Stars and Stripes front and a slogan on the back reading: ‘We do bad things to bad people’. Grrrr. Harry may be a PR nightmare, but he’s only treading in the echoes of his heritage. Think Sarah Ferguson’s toe sucking, Princess Margaret's alcoholism and P-daddy Philip’s innumerable muffled rap-gaffs...
Now that Bonny-Prince Harry’s relationship with Chelsea Davy has gone into administration, he’s back on the market (unless she makes a comeback a la Kate Middleton). This means more nights out at Mahiki and more scandalous attire in search of a mate in matching colours. We're all wearing orange balaclavas. Do you think we stand a chance?
Words: Catherine McColl
Illustration: Federica Ubaldo